Keir Starmer’s election renews hopes for a free trade agreement, halted under Rishi Sunak, with India hoping Starmer buffers anti-India propaganda. India’s relations with the Labour Party suffered a major blow in 2019 after the latter, under its previous leader Jeremy Corbyn, called for self-determination for Kashmiris and also demanded that international observers be allowed to enter the Union Territory, after India revoked J&K’s special status. Starmer, however, corrected course by reaffirming commitment to the UK’s official position that J&K is a bilateral issue.
